75 topographic sheets cover 22 settlements here, and 21 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.
21 National Register listings published here · the county-history sources name 9 people · people the book names include E. B. Carter (Kearney, 1916) (machine-read).
Sources: the county history on the Internet Archive · the National Register database, National Park Service
Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.
| Photograph | Property | Type | Listed | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | John Barnd House | building | 1983 | 83001079 |
 | John J. and Lenora Bartlett House | building | 2007 | 07001321 |
| Bohning Memorial Auditorium | building | 2023 | 100008672 | |
 | Fort Theater | building | 2006 | 06000607 |
 | George W. Frank House | building | 1973 | 73001054 |
 | Gibbon Baptist Church | building | 2016 | 15000897 |
 | Hanson-Downing House | building | 1980 | 80002440 |
| Harmon Park | district | 2010 | 10001002 | |
| Kearney Downtown Historic District | district | 2017 | 100001797 | |
| Kearney Junior High School | building | 2000 | 00000766 | |
 | Kearney National Guard Armory | building | 2009 | 09000525 |
 | Kilgore Bridge | structure | 1992 | 92000768 |
 | Klehm House | building | 1999 | 99000388 |
 | Lowe and Fair Commercial Block | building | 2015 | 14001012 |
 | Masonic Temple and World Theater Building | building | 2009 | 09000903 |
 | Meisner Bank Building | building | 1999 | 99000390 |
 | Saint Luke's Protestant Episcopal Church | building | 1986 | 86003360 |
| Shelton Public Library | building | 2024 | 100010940 | |
 | Sweetwater Mill Bridge | structure | 1992 | 92000767 |
 | Dr. A. O. Thomas House | building | 1980 | 80002441 |
 | U.S. Post Office | building | 1981 | 81000368 |
Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 347 of them, burning about 4,908 acres. 3 started naturally and 2 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Debris and open burning | 118 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 92 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 70 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 24 |
| Smoking | 15 |
| Fireworks | 9 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 7 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 7 |
| Natural | 3 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 2 |
The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 February 2020 | Debris and open burning | 1,520 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 22 March 2010 | Recreation and ceremony | 1,000 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 23 March 2009 | Debris and open burning | 640 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 16 March 2015 | Equipment and vehicle use | 500 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 14 March 2018 | Equipment and vehicle use | 100 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 22 February 2008 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 100 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 10 March 2014 | Equipment and vehicle use | 80 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
| 16 March 2009 | Debris and open burning | 60 acres | Nebraska Forest Service | not named |
Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.
The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 796 reports for this county, causing no deaths, 26 injuries and about $190,143,340 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.
| Kind of event | Reports |
|---|---|
| Hail | 385 |
| Thunderstorm Wind | 261 |
| Tornado | 83 |
| Heavy Rain | 29 |
| Flash Flood | 16 |
| Flood | 13 |
| Funnel Cloud | 5 |
| Lightning | 4 |
The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2002 | Hail | Kearney | 15 hurt, $50,000,000 | All injuries were minor |
| September 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elm Creek | 5 hurt, $2,400,000 | no account filed |
| May 1985 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | 2 hurt, $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| May 1991 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | 2 hurt, $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | (Ear)Kearney Arpt | 1 hurt, $3,000,000 | Strong outflow from the parent thunderstorm located to the east of this path produced wind gusts estimated to be near 70 MPH. There were numerous reports of tree damage in the area, including a large tree limb estimated to be 12 inches in diameter downed and a tree estimated to be 30 inches in diameter snapped at the base and then fell onto a home. The elderly resident of this home suffered injuries when shards of glass entered the home from the combination of wind and hail. The top of a grain bin was blown off and vinyl siding was partially torn off one side of a home. On Interstate 80, near exit 279 southeast of Kearney, a semi truck was blown onto its side. |
| June 2011 | Tornado (EF2) | Elm Creek | 1 hurt, $750,000 | While the tornado south of Elm Creek was in the process of dissipating, a second tornado formed approximately 1 mile west of Elm Creek. This multi-vortex tornado moved east into town, and caused widespread damage, before making a sharp turn to the north and dissipating approximately 4 miles north of Elm Creek. Much of the damage occurred to trees, however several homes received damage, including major roof damage to homes in both the north and south parts of Elm Creek. Outbuildings were also destroyed in the northwest part of town. One non-life threatening injury occurred to a man whose semi-truck was tipped on its side by the tornado. The maximum wind speed of this tornado was estimated to be 120 MPH. |
| July 2019 | Flash Flood | Elm Creek | $25,000,000 | no account filed |
| May 2008 | Tornado (EF2) | Kearney | $11,000,000 | This tornado was the most organized tornado that hit the city of Kearney this night and was the most persistent. It appeared to stay on the ground for the majority of its 22 mile path in Buffalo County. The tornado did exit Buffalo County and entered Hall County. The tornado started in the northwest part of the city of Kearney where it damaged an apartment complex. It took the roof off of part of the complex, blew out a wall and stacked a couple of cars in the parking lot. The tornado then moved east, damaging trees in Harmon Park and took a part of the roof off a building near the hospital. At the Buffalo County Fairgrounds, it caused a portion of the Expo Center building to collapse. Two people in this building were shook up but not injured. The tornado then continued east to the Kearney Airport where it destroyed a hanger and the cooperate jet housed inside. The tornado then continued on east and northeast through rural parts of Buffalo County. Several farmsteads were hit but damage was limited to shingles removed from roofs, outbuildings damaged and empty grain bins destroyed. There were multiple power poles and lines down by this storm. |
| June 2002 | Hail | Riverdale | $10,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Hail | Amherst | $10,000,000 | no account filed |
| May 2023 | Hail | Kearney | $8,000,000 | Hail up to the size of ping pong balls was reported across Kearney. |
| June 2011 | Tornado (EF3) | Elm Creek | $6,000,000 | After producing tornadoes in the Elm Creek area, this supercell thunderstorm continued on a northward path and produced what would be the strongest and one of two EF3 tornadoes of the day. This tornado touched down approximately 5 miles southwest of Amherst, curving to the north-northeast and missing the town by around 2 miles, before dissipating approximately 4 miles north of Amherst. Soon after the tornado touched down, a home suffered significant damage, and as the tornado crossed Highway 40, it intensified and produced a damage path at least 3/4 of a mile wide. The tornado knocked down large transmission lines along Highway 40, and overturned irrigation pivots. As it continued to the northeast, the tornado destroyed one home directly in its path, and no walls remained standing. Taking a turn more to the north, damage continued as outbuildings were destroyed and large metal truss towers were knocked down. Tree trunks were snapped and an irrigation pivot was knocked over approximately 4 miles north of Amherst. The emergency manager later noted that a total of 4 homes were destroyed, 6 to 8 had substantial damage, and 30 others suffered minor damage. Forty irrigation pivots were also either damaged or destroyed. The maximum wind speed of this tornado was estimated to be 160 MPH. |
| July 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Elm Creek | $5,000,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be as high as 80 MPH, tree damage, and power outages occurred along and near this path. The peak measured gust was 68 MPH, recorded at 10:38 PM CDT by a mesonet station located three miles east-southeast of Kearney. Other measured gusts included 66 MPH at 10:24 PM CDT by a mesonet located 2 miles north-northeast of Kearney, 65 MPH at 10:22 PM CDT by a mesonet located 1 mile north of Kearney, and 63 MPH at 10:25 PM CDT by the Kearney Regional Airport AWOS. Law enforcement and emergency management reported at least one semi-truck, other trailers and campers were blown over on Interstate 80 in the Elm Creek area, with zero visibility due to wind and blowing dust. In Elm Creek itself, multiple tree limbs were downed and roof damage was reported. An 18-foot trailer was rolled into the alley behind a home and their neighbor's garage roof was partially torn off and blown into their yard. In and around Kearney, numerous tree limbs were downed, with several trees snapped off at the base. One tree fell onto a home and vehicle, causing some siding and fencing damage. Emergency management reported power outages across town with several transformers blown and some fires due to downed power lines, as well as a few streets, including Highway 30, blocked due to downed tree limbs. The most notable damage report was from the south side of Kearney, where the movie theater suffered major roof damage. Once part of the roof was ripped off, heavy rain fell inside, causing further damage. The theater is not expected to reopen until Thanksgiving or Christmas. |
| August 2023 | Hail | Glenwood Park | $5,000,000 | no account filed |
| July 2019 | Flash Flood | Miller | $5,000,000 | no account filed |
| June 2022 | Hail | Ravenna | $4,000,000 | There were several reports of hail ranging from 2-4 inch diameter in and near Ravenna. Widespread home siding and window damage was reported. Vehicles sustained damage, including shattered windows and windshields of the town's fire trucks. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Gibbon | $3,000,000 | Wind gusts were estimated to be at least 70 MPH, with a gust of 68 MPH measured 3 miles south of Gibbon. Accompanied by hail up to the size of golf balls, the combination caused significant crop and tree damage in the area, with many fields reduced to stubble with crops determined to be complete losses. Damage to campers was also reported at the Windmill State Recreation Area near Interstate 80. |
| July 2014 | Hail | Gibbon | $3,000,000 | Hail up to the size of golf balls accompanied wind gusts of at least 70 MPH through the area. This combination led to significant tree and crop damage, with many fields reduced to stubble and crops were complete losses. Damage to campers was also reported at the Windmill State Recreation Area near Interstate 80. |
| March 1990 | Tornado (F3) | not stated | $2,500,000 | no account filed |
| December 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Kearney | $2,000,000 | Wind gusts estimated to up to 80 MPH caused damage in the Kearney area. Around 10 pine trees were blown down, as were a few irrigation pivots. Construction trailers were blown over near Kearney High School and a barn lean-to was damaged on 46th Avenue. |
| March 2019 | Flood | Ravenna | $2,000,000 | no account filed |
| March 2019 | Flood | Ravenna | $2,000,000 | no account filed |
| March 2019 | Flood | Shelton | $2,000,000 | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Flash Flood | Countywide | $2,000,000 | no account filed |
| May 2019 | Hail | Kearney | $1,000,000 | Hail ranging in size from 1 to 2 inches in diameter was reported across Kearney. |
| July 2014 | Hail | Shelton | $1,000,000 | Golf ball size hail was reported at the Shelton exit of Interstate 80. |
| April 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Kearney | $1,000,000 | Considerable tree damage was reported, including trees blocking roadways. Winds destroyed a mobile home, damaged residence halls on the University of Nebraska-Kearney campus, and also blew part of the roof off the UNK library. |
| May 2005 | Hail | Kearney | $1,000,000 | Hail ranging in size from golf balls to baseballs pounded Kearney. Nine sheriff's deputy cars were damaged by the hail. |
| March 2019 | Flash Flood | Riverdale | $1,000,000 | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Ravenna | $800,000 | Straight-line winds of up to 80 mph overturned or damaged over 50 pivots in northeast Buffalo county. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Gibbon | $700,000 | no account filed |
| July 2018 | Hail | Pleasanton | $500,000 | Hail up to the size of golf balls was reported. |
| August 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pleasanton | $500,000 | Wind gusts in the area were estimated to be near 85 MPH, based on damage reports. There was widespread tree damage reported, especially in the Ravenna area. Several large trees were downed, some 4 to 6 feet in diameter, and heavy equipment was needed to clear some roads. Power lines were also downed in the area and a few homes and vehicles were damaged. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Amherst | $500,000 | Wind gusts were estimated at 80 MPH. Damage later reported in the area by the Emergency Manager included outbuildings damaged, power poles knocked over, and overturned pivots. |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Riverdale | $500,000 | Wind gusts were estimated at 80 to 90 MPH, resulting in overturned pivots and knocked down power lines, with power flashes and outages also reported. |
| June 2006 | Hail | Shelton | $500,000 | no account filed |
| April 2003 | Hail | Kearney | $500,000 | no account filed |
| May 1998 | Heavy Rain | Kearney | $500,000 | no account filed |
| June 2022 | Hail | Odessa | $400,000 | There were several reports of hail ranging in size from quarters to golf balls along and near a path from Odessa, to in and near Riverdale, to south of Pleasanton. |
| September 2015 | Hail | Kearney | $400,000 | Hail ranging in size from quarter to tennis ball size was reported in the area. Inside the city of Kearney itself, hail was quarter to golf ball size. |
| May 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Kearney | $350,000 | no account filed |
| October 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Pleasanton | $300,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be near 70 MPH resulted in crop damage and at least four damaged or flipped pivots in the area. Large trees at an area farm suffered damage. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Kearney | $300,000 | Wind gusts estimated to be near 70 MPH resulted in three flipped irrigation pivots. |
| December 2021 | Tornado (EF0) | Gibbon | $300,000 | This tornado is a continuation of the tornado that touched down in Kearney County, north of Minden. This tornado was typical for the day, likely intermittent with regard to ground circulation and impacting rural areas. Much of the path damage can be traced to center irrigation pivots either partially or fully overturned. The tornado damaged a couple power poles and peeled back some roofing material at the Rowe Sanctuary. A measured wind gust 83 MPH was recorded at the sanctuary as the storm passed. Damage was a bit sparse north of the river. The tornadic circulation likely crossed Interstate 80 about three miles west of the Gibbon interchange before knocking over a couple more pivots and lifting just southwest of Gibbon. The maximum estimated speed of 85 MPH was based upon the measured wind gust at the sanctuary and damage to nearby power poles. |
| December 2021 | Tornado (EF0) | Gibbon | $250,000 | This tornado is a continuation of the tornado that touched down east of Lowell in Kearney County and traveled north-northeast across the Platte River into Buffalo County, lifting near Shelton. Damage was sparse, but a few center irrigation pivots and minor tree damage was found. The tornadic circulation likely crossed Interstate 80 about 2.5 miles west of the Shelton interchange. The tornado moved across one farmstead where a garage was completely destroyed. Minor tree damage was also noted. The damage to the garage was the primary basis for the 80 MPH maximum wind speed estimate. The tornado tipped one more pivot before lifting just northeast of the farmstead. |
| May 2014 | Hail | Miller | $250,000 | Quarter to golf ball size hail was reported in town. |
| June 2011 | Tornado (EF0) | Elm Creek | $250,000 | This tornado touched down in northern Phelps County, approximately 6 miles south-southwest of Elm Creek, and moved north into southern Buffalo County, dissipating just south of Elm Creek. This tornado lifted and touched back down several times along its path, with the main damage coming from overturned irrigation pivots. The maximum wind speed of this tornado was estimated to be 80 MPH. |
| June 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Shelton | $250,000 | Wind gusts of 65 to 75 mph were reported. Reports included damage to power lines and transformers, large branches down, metal building and billboard destroyed. |
| June 2022 | Hail | Poole | $250,000 | no account filed |
| April 2015 | Hail | Riverdale | $250,000 | no account filed |
| May 2013 | Hail | Gibbon | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Hail | Shelton | $250,000 | no account filed |
| July 1990 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| September 1985 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| October 1982 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| June 1975 | Tornado (F1) | not stated | $250,000 | no account filed |
| December 2016 | Tornado (EF0) | Centennial Arpt | $225,000 | This tornado started just west of Ravenna Road northwest of Gibbon and upset a couple of irrigation pivots before entering the east end of Blue Sky Estates. One outbuilding was destroyed with debris carried one-quarter mile north-northwest of the site. Aside from the building destroyed, the tornado moved through an area of the subdivision generally void of buildings or trees. The maximum wind speed was estimated to be 85 MPH. |
| July 2023 | Hail | Odessa | $200,000 | Most hail was nickel to golf ball size, with a few up to the size of tennis balls. |
| September 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Amherst | $200,000 | Wind gusts were estimated to be near 60 MPH and was accompanied by hail up to the size of ping pong balls. |
| September 2017 | Hail | Amherst | $200,000 | Hail ranged in size from quarters to ping pong balls. |
The Survey's mineral resources record lists 6 workings inside this county. All of them still produce. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.
| Commodity | Workings |
|---|---|
| Sand and Gravel, Construction | 6 |
The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadfoot Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Bruner's Sand and Gravel | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Cook Sand and Gravel | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Johnson Sand and Gravel Co | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Kearney Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Leonard Pit and Plant | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
The part of each published history that is about one town: 7 chapters, each reproduced complete.
| Town | Chapter | From | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Org | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement (1916) | 257 words |
| Gibbon | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Org | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement (1916) | 6,960 words |
| Kearney | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Org | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement (1916) | 25,277 words in 2 parts |
| Pleasanton | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Org | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement (1916) | 1,917 words |
| Ravenna | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Org | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement (1916) | 4,732 words |
| Riverdale | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Org | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement (1916) | 406 words |
| Shelton | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Org | Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement (1916) | 6,873 words |
One book written about this county, cut here where the book itself is cut, at its printed chapters: 52 chapters in all. Every chapter is public domain, machine-read from the scan and reproduced complete. A chapter already given under one of the county's towns is not repeated in this list.
Everyone Buffalo County, Nebraska, and Its People : a Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement stops to write about, with the section that describes them. Among them are the men who founded the place and governed the Territory. Each name opens the passage itself, in the words of 1916.
Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.
Precinct 26 · 68845 · On Turkey Creek · Alfalfa Center quadrangle
18 sheets, 1894 to 1985
Precinct 16 · 68866 · Near Pleasant Valley · Pleasanton quadrangle
15 sheets, 1896 to 1985
The vanished settlements of Buffalo County: the places named above that are no longer on the map.
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